THE FIRST 2000 YEARS

Month: May 2017

When Reverend Paul Paul Kimes, (Maronite Priest from Brooklyn, NY)an Official at CDF, delivered his talk “ Harmonizing Two Codes: Intersections, Limitations and Indications for the Future”he left everyone in the room amazed.This was a presentation ode to Dr. Seuss on “One Code, Two Code, Red Code, Blue Code” or, the CCEO, the Code for Eastern Churches. Father Kimes is a priest in Eastern Rite and knows both Codes thoroughly.What was best was that he is a top of the line speaker.At the risk of putting anyone off, he actually used a wee bit of Dr. Seuss to get some points across.He was engaging and entertaining.And can I say it again, he knew his field.I think that may have been the only talk on the Eastern Code in twenty years that had me from word one to the very end.I even took notes despite the fact that in twenty years as a Canonist, I have never had one question that involved the Eastern Code of Canon Law.Father Kimes did his presentation in Power Point and his easy to follow panels are included in the Proceedings.

The CLSA is looking for an Executive Coordinator with a new option. Under the Constitution and By-Laws, the job requires a license in Canon Law and has always been a full-time, re-locate to the D.C. area job. But this new, part-time EC position has assignments that can be done out of the office, in the comfort of your own home! There is a travel budget for those few times when you might have to come to the Washington office for meetings. The job would take about ten to fifteen hours per week, mostly as you can fit it into your schedule. This is a great, unique opportunity. The DEADLINE for applicants is next Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Get complete information at the CLSA.org website.

The second day of the Conference of the CL Society of Great Britain and Ireland started with a well-prepared talk by Sister Noelle Corscadden, IBVM, Institute Leader of the Loreto Sisters of Rome.She had come highly recommended as a speaker by former Society President, Rev. Aidan McGrath, OFM.He didn’t go amiss with that recommendation.The comments and questions after her talk went on for as long as the talk itself, a great sign with this group.Her Title was misleading in that it sounded too crazy to be interesting to a group of Canonists, but it was.“The Treasure in Earthen Vessels- in a Universe Beyond all Imagining.”Sister used her Irish brogue first to engage us in the unique history of her order, and then started making her points.She talked of today’s challenges of Religious Life practically and canonically.Her points touched on life as a Congregational leader from her point of view with its quest for vocations and keeping consistency internationally among the Loreto Sisters. Because this talk was well-prepared in advance, it is published in the Proceedings.Sister Amy Hereford, CSJ, a U.S. based canonist and upcoming author on religious law was in attendance.http://ahereford.org/

Two weeks ago, Archbishop Paul Gallagher met the CLSGB&I and delivered a talk on Papal Legates in the 1917 and 1983 Codes. Tomorrow he meets with Donald Trump. According to NCR, https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/what-will-happen-vatican-when-trump-meets-pope-francis , as Trump leaves Pope Francis, he will be escorted back through the Apostolic Palace into a separate room for meetings with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States. The NCR reports that according to Ken Hackett, the most recent Ambassador to the Holy See, this second meeting is where the most serious business takes place. Hackett went on to say that Trump should leave the geopolitical side of things to this last meeting. The Holy See has these discussions in very capable hands. After earning his doctorate in Canon Law from the Greg, Archbishop Gallagher, in 1984, became a member of the Holy See’s diplomatic service. He held posts in Tanzania, Uruguay, the Philippines, the Vatican Secretariat of State and at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. After years serving as Papal Nuncio in Burundi and in Guatemala, in 2012 he was appointed Papal Nuncio to Australia, a post he held until being appointed Secretary for Relations with States in November 2014 by Pope Francis. A native of Liverpool, Archbishop Gallagher was dubbed the Gregarious Diplomat as the first Briton to serve as a Vatican Foreign Minister. Read their great story on him from 2014 at http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2014/11/13/archbishop-paul-gallagher-the-gregarious-diplomat/

The Most Reverend Paul Gallagher, Secretary of Relations with States, Vatican Secretary
of State offices, opened the conference of the CL Society of Great Britain and Ireland last
week. His talk was entitled, “Papal Legates 1917/1983”. Judging from comments after
the talk, it seemed like most of us either missed that lecture in CL studies or that lecture
went by so fast, we don’t remember it. The Nuncio is the legate most people are familiar
with. He is the equivalent of an ambassador in diplomatic relations. Besides talking
about this role, Bishop Gallagher talked about legates who are assigned work with special groups or events to represent or observe for the Holy See. Sadly, he stayed away from recollecting war stories of the Vatican famoso, but he was so full of novel info on how that very specialized world rotates, that I wished I had paid more attention to this in class. Unfortunately, Bishop Gallagher did not submit his talk in writing prior to the
Conference so his talk is not part of the published Proceedings available now. He had a
nice personality and might be a good person to have in your contacts.

The Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland met in Rome for its annual conference last week. The conference is usually rotated around UK and Ireland locations, but this was special. This conference celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the Society and the 100th Anniversary of the Pio-Benedictine Code of 1917. The event was held at the religious house, Casa Bonus Pastor, a ten minute walk from the back of St. Peter’s, and operated by the Archdiocese of Rome. The accommodations are good and the food is excellent. About 100 people attended in residence and out. All of the five presentation talks in the Conference were given by members of the Curia. From CDF there were The Most Rev. Charles J. Scicluna (President of the College of Recourses of the CDF and Archbishop of Malta) Rev. Robert Geisinger, S.J. and Rev. John Paul Kimes; from the Secretary of State, the Most Rev. Paul Gallagher (Secretary of Relations with States), and Sister Noelle Corscadden (Institute Leader of the Loreto Sisters). More coming about these individual talks.